This is not the first time the three countries have conducted similar
cooperative drills. In 2019, the Chinese Navy and its Russian and Iranian
counterparts held a four-day military exercise in the Gulf of Oman to
strengthen cooperation between the three militaries.
“The Pacific Fleet’s naval group made up of the Guards Order of Nakhimov
missile cruiser Varyag, the large anti-submarine warfare ship Admiral Tributs
and the large sea tanker Boris Butoma has anchored in the roadstead of the
Chabahar port in the Islamic Republic of Iran. In the port, the Russian Navy’s
official delegation will take part in a planning conference on holding joint
naval drills of combat ships of Russia, Iran and China,” the Russian Pacific
Fleet’s press office reported.
China, Russia, and Iran must secure international maritime safety. The
majority of Russia’s international trade is transported by ship. Iran’s oil
exports are likewise reliant on ships.
When reporting on the three nations’ joint practice in 2019, the US
media reported it was performed by “three of America’s strongest foes.” Others
argued that the drill meant Beijing enlisted Tehran and Moscow to establish a
trio of “autocracies” to “rally against democracy.”